Rescuers free whale caught in rope off Skye
The humpback is said to be exhausted and British Divers Marine Life Rescue is continuing to monitor it.
Rescuers have freed a whale that became entangled in a rope at a fish farm off the Isle of Skye.
A member of the public spotted the humpback in difficulty at the Invertote salmon farm and contacted British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) at around 8.30am on Thursday to raise the alarm.
The BDMLR has confirmed the whale has now been freed following a rescue operation.
It said the animal is exhausted and it is continuing to monitor it.
On Thursday, the charity said the whale had become “visibly entangled in rope” at the fish farm and was “unable to swim freely”.
It said members of its large whale disentanglement team were mobilised from across the UK and worked to free the whale with the help of the local community and emergency services.
On a post on social media, Organic Sea Harvest (OSH), which run Invertote, said it is “delighted” the animal has been freed.
The statement read: “We’re delighted to confirm that the humpback whale entangled at our salmon farm has been freed.
“Our farm staff, supported by expert divers from BDMLR, have worked tirelessly since discovering the whale just after 7am yesterday.
“This is the outcome we had all hoped for and worked towards.
“OSH staff will continue to monitor the whale’s movements and provide any further assistance to the authorities.
“During the rescue it became clear that the whale had previously been entangled and was carrying old ropes of a type not used by OSH.
“It was this existing entangled rope which caught on to the farm moorings as it swam by.
“Thankfully the BDMLR team were not only able to free the whale from the salmon farm, but they were also able to free it of the other ropes it had been carrying.”
A picture released by the charity showed the mammal at the surface of the water next to a white buoy, with green rope around the top of its head.
In a statement released on Thursday the company said marine mammals, including dolphins and whales, are a “common sight” near salmon farms, but that it is “extremely rare” for them to come into contact with them.
In November the large whale disentanglement team successfully freed a humpback whale that had become entangled in creel ropes in Loch Fyne.
Humpback whales are found in oceans around the world.
They can grow to around 18 metres in length and weigh up to 40 tonnes.
